What is the truth of the World Race? Every step along the way is uncomfortable. If you’re starting to get comfortable, then that just means another big change is coming, whether change in country, change in team, or change in location.
Life on the World Race is constantly changing and it leaves you little time to stay still yourself. But what does that do to you?
Since the world around you is constantly changing, so do you, to adapt. But you changing is more of becoming who you were created to be. It’s when you resist change and you hold onto the past too tightly that no change occurs.
And who can live like that? We should all be constantly changing and growing closer to looking like Christ every day. Sometimes that change looks like resting in His presence, and sometimes it’s very uncomfortable as He pulls out weeds that have rooted in your heart. Sometimes change means saying goodbye to good things too, like friends you’ve made and grown to love over the past month who understand your international life more than friends back home can sometimes.
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Right now, God is working on my heart to teach me how to stay present wherever I am. And right now that looks like pressing into hard change and taking advantage of every opportunity to grow Kingdom.
Like why should I talk to a random British young man who happens to be staying in the same hostel since we’re leaving in a few days? Why get attached or try to get to know him at all? Because he speaks English, because he’s still pressing past the uncomfortableness to make international friends too, because some of your squadmates might end up inviting him to the worship session where you’re singing, and because he might bring 2 friends, then all 3 stay for the message afterwards and get a taste of the one true God that they may not have experienced otherwise.
The truth is I hate uncomfortableness. I hate getting to know people well each month only to have to leave them again and never know if I’m coming back. I hate assimilating into a new culture each month only to have to start over 30 days later, unlearning certain cultural guidelines and learning new ones.
All of it is very difficult and uncomfortable. It’s not like a vacation where you go to enjoy a new place with your own cultural norms, have fun, and experience new things only to have the promise of returning home when it starts to feel uncomfortable. I live in each country, fully immersed in it. And after each month, I’m ripped away from it again after it has just started to become normal.
So why do I do it? Why do I press on and chose to stay here? Because Jesus never asked us to become complacent and live comfortable lives. He wants us to be uncomfortable for the sake of the Gospel.
One thing I’ve noticed that surprises me the most is the presence of Christ in these seemingly unreached people groups. They may not be well known so their government isn’t aware what’s going on, but I see beacons of light in the many Christian ministries, coffee chops, and small businesses rescuing girls from human trafficking and building up the body of Christ all over Asia. These places are hidden in plain sight if you only know where to look or what you’re looking for. They work as separate entities, but together work to fulfill the Great Commission and make Christ fully known all over the world.
People in America who haven’t seen this like I have may not understand how close the kingdom of God truly is, or the sense of urgency that lingers in the air, beckoning Christ’s coming. The Kingdom of God is close my friends, and I would advise anyone who thinks they have forever to accept Christ into their lives to acknowledge this urgency in the message of the Gospel. If you don’t yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, I pray that you would take the time to sit with God today and contemplate your own salvation. The Kingdom of God is at hand, my friends. Don’t let today pass you by.
Fundraising Update: Thank you, thank you, thank you to my newest supporters! I just checked my portal today and overnight I went from 97% funded to 99% funded! Wow! Praise the Lord! I am so close of reaching my total goal of $17,361 by Christmas! Would you like to help me raise the last $154? Click “donate!” above to give a donation, big or small, to help me raise the rest of my support goal! Nothing is too big for God, and He keeps showing up in big ways!
Praise the Lord for all your faithful generosity for anyone who has already given, my monthly supporters, my one-time supporters, big donations, small donations, if you’ve encouraged me in any way, people who’ve subscribed to my blogs, people who haven’t subscribed but keep reading them anyway, if you’ve subscribed to my youtube channel, if you watch the videos anyway, and I also really appreciate all the comments on my blogs even though I don’t always have time to respond to each one. You guys are the best and you’ve helped me to get here, to Month 5 of the World Race! Thank you for believing in me and for believing in what God is doing in each of these countries, and for partnering with me to make this possible! My love to all, whether back home or abroad!
